Multiple outlet connector



June 9, 1953 e. HARPSTER 2,641,745

' MULTIPLE OUTLETI coNN cTbR Filed Oct. 10, 1949 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 FIIIIIIHIW.

GLEN AQQPSTEQ,

1Q TTORNE Y.

J n 9.1953 s. HARPSTER 2,641,745

MULTIPLE OUTLET coumaz'broa V Filed Oct. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 a W r j Elm/0% 5 H .73 65 :90 70 7 72 INVENTOR.

' QNEX Patented June 9,' 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

'=MUI3TIPLE2 OUTLET- CONNECTOR- Glen'HarpstervLos Angeles Calif.

Application 0ctober10, 1949,,Serial No.*I2'0-,4'fi9 4 Claims. (or 339-159.)

"This invention :relates generallytoimprovements in. multiple outlet electrical connectors: and.

is a continuation in partof my co-pending ape plication, Serial'No.646;9'95, filed'February 12;. issued March.

in this regard, and zmy tpresent'v :inventiondis- I closes additionalmoiiifications;

:Aside fromthe. factors affecting. :costrof. 'pmduction,i.it is a frequent observation; that-"when one wishes to disengage an electrical :plug from. the connector ionJthe 'endof :an "extension cord, he pulls or jerks the connection-in.zsuchray'way' as to impose on the electrical connectionswithin. .the connector :a .physicalstrain. Conductors become loosened. from the :strain, and eventual,

failure of the connectoris *not uncommon. The above difficulty is increased if the electrical .dis-

tributor within the :connector'is: permittedJan-y',

substantial movement, since. continual. flexing;vv :of the strands of :the. conductors contributes; .to breaking thestrands.

My invention. provides means for grippingthe insulation of an extension cord leading -.to :a. connector in such ta way that 'pulling orgjerbing the extension cord will not result'in-any strain being placed uponthe. electrical-eunuch tions between the conductors and the interior electrical distributors. Likewise, my p esentinvention provides meansfor preventing movement of the distributor within. the connector which would flex or strain the wirefstrands of: the conductor.

.It .is therefore an. "object rot. this :invention to provide an electrical connector which when used on the end .of. an extension cord :grips said. cord by means separate from. th electrical.:c0nnection'betweenthe cord-and the connector.

.Another object of. this. invention ;isto disclose an :electrical connector which whenfinsertedjnto a .female socket will be retained therein :inzsuch a way as to minimize-the possibility'ofiaccidental dislodgement.

-A .iurther object is to .disclose 2a connector havingmeans for .mininiizingimovementz oifathev internal. electrical distributors with respect ton the conductors soldered or otherwiseuattached;

thereto.

.Another. object of; my invention, in one of'its embodiments, is to disclose an, improved. 'de-- sign: of electrical connector using only'two iden-- tical dielectric body members and two identical electrical distributors, thus facilitating manu'-= facture and assembly operations. A further object is to disclose. a multiple outlet electrical connector having :electrica1--dis tributors .afifording low'.contact.resistancesto a male prong;

A still further object is to provide :such "a.

connector whose. desigmminimizes the. danger of arc-overs. or :short': .circuits Within -the connectar.

Othertobiect's and purposeswillbecomeappanent .from. 'a..rstudy ofithe followingdescription taken in connection. with :the accompanying? drawings, in which:

Fighl is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention in the form of a multiple outlet Fig. 5 is a sectional view takenon line-V -V of Fig.1.

Fig; 6 isaa-sectional view taken-on line. VI-4H. oirElg. 2. V

i-Fig. .7israsectional viewttakenuon line VII-VTI;

I ofFigr. -5,.'with: the upper body melnbertshown spaced slightly-apart from thelower body menu ber.

,Fig. .8 is an enlarged fragmentary view-taken,

and I6 in assembled relation. For'instance, I

may provide a rod or strip, preferably metallic,

adapted to frictionally or otherwise grip the in-' ternal surfaces of the central passageway through body members I and IE; or a tubular member upset at each end may be used as illuse trated at 82 in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. Body members I5 and IS are positioned together so as to form two parallel end surfaces I3 and2I. Lying in planes perpendicular to end surfaces I9 and 2| are a plurality of sides 22, and in the 'embodiment shown in Fig. 1, each side 22 is provided with a pair of prong-receiving apertures 23 and 24. All apertures lie in a pair of spaced parallel planes, apertures 23 defining one of said planes and apertures 24 defining the other plane.

. Within the connector body I4 and communicating with apertures 23 and 24 is a pair of housing recesses 25 and 25, said recesses being divided by a division member or web partition 2i formed integrally with body members I5 and I6 and extending across the interior of body I4. Web partition 2? lies in a plane parallel to end surfaces I9 and 2|.- I preferably include an enlarged central boss 28 in web 2'1, and formed centrally in boss 28 is hole 29 through which screw. II extends;

- In. each housing recess 25 and 25 isdisposed an' electrical distributor 3| of a resilient metal having a high current-carrying capacity. IDfEf-I erably form distributor 3| in the forniof a disk havinga slightly convex shape as most clearly appears in Figs. 5 and 6, the'convex surface of the distributor facing inwardly. Distributor 3| includes a plurality of inwardly extending fingers 32 slightly inclined to tlieplane of recess 25 or 25,'and has an integral projecting lug 33 having opposed shoulders. Formed in distributor 3| on the radius bisecting lug 33 may be one or more holes 34 for attaching electrical conductors thereto.

Particularly with reference to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, an electrical male prong 33v may be attached to distributor 3| in the region of lug 33 and holes 34 by rivets or other means '31. Slight divergence of prongs 35, when obtained, minimizes accidental dislodging of the connector from a female socket or wall outlet. Each resilient finger of the distributor is at a slight inclination to the walls of the recess in which it is held, thereby insuring thorough contact with an entering male prong.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 7, body members I5 and" I6 are provided 'with'cooperating locating means including hemispherical projections 4| and cooperating hemispherical recesses 42. When body members I5 and I5 are placed together to form body I4, projections 4| are re'-' ceived into recesses 42, such junction serving -to align the two body members I5 and I5 with respect to each other.

Another embodiment of my invention is shown in Fig. 2 wherein one side of body member I5 and the corresponding side of body member I6 are notched so that centrally on one of sides 22 of body I4 there is provided a port 46 adapted to permit the entrance of conventional two-con- 4 ductor electrical cord 41. The conductors of cord 41 are fastened to holes 34 in distributors 4| by soldering, rivets or other means at 48 and 43.

In order to prevent flexing and eventual parting of the conductors of electrical cord 41 at their points of attachment 48 and 49 with electrical distributors 3|, it is desirable to prevent the rotation of distributors 3| within their housing recesses 25 and 25;; As most clearly seen in Fig. 4, I provide inbody members I5 and I6 adjacent port 45 a pair of recesses having substantially fiat surfaces and 56. 'Recesses 55 and 53 are located on each side of port 43 and, when body I4 is assembled, serve to receive the should'ers of projecting lug 33 of distributor 3|. Distributors 3| arethus restrained from rotation within their housing recesses 25 and 26, but are permitted a limited amount of axial movement within said recesses in order to insure electrical contact between inwardly projecting fingers 32 r and prongs of a conventional male plug entering apertures 23 and 24.

used in the outletplug or the cord conductor.

With particular reference to Fig. 8, it can there be seen how cord 41 is gripped by body members I5 and I6. Disposed in the upper and lower surfaces of port 46 are raised clamping teeth 5| and 52, which are formed integrally with body members I5 and I3 respectively and when said body' members are placed together forming body I4, the distance separating the teeth 5| of body member I5 from the teeth '52 of body member I6 is appreciably less than the thickness of electric cord 41. The yielding insulation of cord 41 is therefore pinched by teeth 5| and 52, and itcan be seen that force exerted on cord 4! in the form of jerks and tugs will not be transmitted to elec--v trical connections 48 and 49. Hence those connections are not subjected to the strain which would otherwise cause eventual failure. Teeth 5| and 52 may be formed with their longitudinal dimensions perpendicular to cord 41, or as shown, slightly inclined to said perpendicular. Since the body portions are identical, the opposing and inclined teeth will assume a spaced and crossed relation, shown in Fig. 8, when in use.

"The embodiment of my invention adapted to be attached permanently onthe end of an extension' cord, as illustrated in Figs. '2, 4, 6 and 8, is provided with aligning means including projections 4| and recesses 42, similar to those already portion, and connects the sides "and central boss 28 (as in Fig. 5), it may be reduced or even eliminated on one or both sides of division member or boss 28. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, web 2'I'is -entirely eliminated in the right half of body portion I6 in order to accommodate the conductors of cord 41. passing to their points of at-' tachment' 48 and 49 with distributors 3|. When web is reduced or eliminated on both sides, division member or central boss 28 is the only portion of dielectric body member I6 extendin centrally of the connector from one body member to the other. Y

1. 'A'third embodiment of my invention appears It will be noted that the distributors 3| are of identical contour whetherin Figs. 9, and 11. Body members 6| and 62 are identically formed and when assembled, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11, include between them a prong-spacing core 63. Body members BI and 62 and core 63 are made of dielectric material and prong-spacing core 63 includes an integral, centrally disposed web partition or division member dividing the interior of the assembled connector into two identical spaced recesses 80 and BI.

Body members SI and 62 are provided with substantially fiat parallel end surfaces 64 and 65, and have a plurality of angularly related sides 66, each of said sides including a pair of prongreceiving apertures 61 and 68, said apertures lying in planes parallel to the end surfaces. Each aperture comunicates with one of the two spaced recesses 80 and 8| which also lie in planes parallel to the end surfaces.

One of the sides 66 may be provided with a pair of electrical conducting prongs 69 constituting a male connection for insertion into the conventional female wall outlet or other socket. Prongs 69 are attached at their inner ends to electrical distributors 10 and H held in the spaced recesses 80 and 8|. The entire structure is held in assembled relation by connecting or clamping means 82 passing through the center of body members 6| and 62 and prong-spacing core 63. Connecting or clamping means 82 may be a tubular metal element upset at each end as shown, or may take other forms well known in the art. As seen in Fig. 10, each of the plurality of inwardly projecting fingers 12 of distributor H may have formed therein a dimpled protuberance 13 adapted to engage a hole formed near the end of conventional male prong, thereby assisting in retaining such prong in contact with finger I2.

In order to prevent relative movement of body members 6| and 62 and prong-spacing core 63, I may provide aligning means including hemispherical protuberances 16 in core 63 and hemispherical recesses 11 and 18 in body members 6| and 62.

Changes and modifications in the present invention Will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For instance, any number of sides of the connector body may be used with a corresponding number of inwardly projecting fingers in the electrical distributors. All such changes are intended to be embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A multiple outlet electrical plug comprising: a body of dielectric material, said body having a pair of parallel end surfaces and a plurality of angularly related substantially fiat sides in planes perpendicular to said end surfaces; a pair of spaced recesses in the body, said recesses lying in planes parallel to the end surfaces and perpendicular to the planes of said sides, each of said recesses including opposing wall faces of dielectric body material; a pair of identical, slightly convex, disk-shaped unitary electrical distributors of resilient metal in said recesses, each distributor having a continuous peripheral portion and a plurality of integrally formed, resilient fingers extending inwardly therefrom, said fingers being slightly inclined to the plane of the recess, each said distributor having a surface area virtually equal to that of its housing recess and atforded a limited axial movement therein; and a pair of parallel prong-receiving apertures in each side of the body, each of said apertures being in communication with one of the recesses and arranged to guide a prong into sliding contact with one of said resilient fingers, all of said apertures lying in a pair of spaced, parallel planes, each of said last-named planes passing substantially through the middle of the recess in communication with the apertures in such plane.

2. In a multiple outlet connector, the provision of a body of dielectric material having a plurality of intersecting planar side walls and a pair of spaced recesses therein perpendicular to said side walls, said side Walls including a plurality of pairs of prong-receiving apertures communicating with the recesses, the apertures lying in spaced parallel planes perpendicular to the side walls; and a pair of identical, slightly convex, disk-shaped, unitary electrical distributors of resilient metal in said recesses, each distributor having a substantially continuous peripheral portion and a plurality of integrally formed, resilient fingers extending inwardly therefrom, said peripheral portions being slightly spaced from said planes and said fingers intersecting the planes.

3. A multiple outlet connector as stated in claim 2 wherein each of said fingers is tapered from a relatively broad base merging with its respective peripheral portion to a relatively narrow tip at 7 its innermost end.

4 A multiple outlet connector comprising: a box-like bodyof dielectric material having a pair of parallel end surfaces and a plurality of angularly related, substantially flat side Walls extending perpendicularly to and connecting the end surfaces, each of a plurality of said side Walls having a pair of prong-receiving apertures formed therein, said pairs of apertures lying in a pair of spaced parallel planes; a pair of identical, slightly convex, disk-shaped electrical distributors of resilient metal within the body, each distributor having a peripheral portion disposed adjacent one of said planes and a plurality of integrally formed fingers slightly inclined to said plane and extende ing inwardly from said peripheral portion and intersecting said plane, each of said fingers being tapered from a relatively :broad base merging with its respective peripheral portion to a relatively narrow tip at its innermost end.

GLEN HARPSTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

